Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-09-20
ARlsTocRATIc TITLES IN ENGLAND.
English. Irish and Scotch Barons-seo
ua..x T~ftlos-Sona curtons Rules

English, Irish and Scotch Barons-Sec
ondary Titlcs-some Curious Rules.
The British house Of peers consists oI
the hereditary Barons of England, Irish
barons elected for life, of Scotch barons
elected for each parliament, of two arch.
bishops and about two dozen bishops.
Whatever a peers title may be, he sits in
the house as a baron, his higher titles
being purely honorary. Therefore al
| dukes, marquesses, earls and viscount:
except those bearing titles by courtesy
are also barons.
Next to the royal family in precedence
comes the Most Rev. His Grace the Lord
Archbishop of Canterbury, then the lord
high chancellor, then the Archbishop Of
York, then certain officials and then the
dukes; the odd thing being that the wives
Of the archbishops, who rank so high, are
plain Mrs. Benson and Mrs. Thompson,
taking no rank from their husbands.
All dukes, besides being barons. have
secondary titles, often many Of them.
OF these the eldest son and heir takes, by
courtesy, the highest. For example. the
Duke of Devonshire is also the Marquis Of
Harrington. This title is therefore borne
by his eldest son, the well known politi-
cal leader. The marquessate, being only
one by courtesy, does not, Of course,
make the marquis a peer; he sits in the
house Of commons, to which he has TO be
elected like any other commoner.
Younger sons of dukes are called by their
Christian names, with the title Of lord
added. Thus, if the Marquis of Harting-
ton had two younger brothers, one
named William and the other John, they
would be called Lord William Csvendish
and Lord John Cavendish, Cavendish
being the family surname; their children
would be simply Mr.. or Miss Cavendish.
Lord Randolph Churchill's father was
the Duke of Marlborough; his elder
brother, during the fathers life, was
called the Marquis of Blandford. When
Lord Randolph married. his wife became
Lady Randolph Churchill, but their chill
dren will inherit no title. Lord John
Russell, a younger son Of the Duke of
Bedford, was in his old days raised to the
peerage as Lord Russell; perhaps if Lord
Randolph become a great statesman and
prime minister, he may be raised TO the
peerage, and may do the rare thing Of
choosing his surname for his title. If so,
the Lord Churchill" that sounds so alb
surdly today, may seem to have been
prophetic. In the meantime, he is no
more Lord Churchill than he is the Duke
Of st. Louis.
For the sons Of marquesses the same
rules apply as for the sons of dukes. The
eldest son of an earl takes his fathers
second title by courtesy, but the younger
sons are only ''the Hon. Mr.. So and So
The daughters of all dukes, marquesse:
and earls are styled Lady Mary, Lady
Jane, etc. Children of ~viscounts and
barons, who have no higher title, are al
the Hon. Mr.. or Miss So and So. All
Englishmen, except bishops, bearing
titles, raise their wives 10 their rank, and
ladies having by birth the noble prefix
remain Lady Mary or Lady Jane through
life, unless they marry so high as ia
merge it in a higher title. Baronets IAN
invention of King Jamie to sell an in
heritable order Of k~nighthood) and knights
of all kinds have the prefix Sir to CHER
given names. Thus, if a ma is named
John Smith and succeeds TO a baronetcy,
or is knighted, he becomes Sir John
Smith and is addressed as Sir John. He
does not become Sir Smith, any more
than the younger son of a duke or mar
guess. whose family name was Smith,
would be Lord Smith. In the one case
it is Sir John, in the other Lord John.
Strangely enough. the wife of a knight
or baronet does exactly the reverse; Sir
John Smiths wife becomes Lady Smith,
not Lady John Smith; while Lord John
Smiths wife becomes Lady John Smith,
not Lady Smith.
The title Of Right Honorable is given II
members Of the sovereign's mivy council,
As has already been said, the title OF Hon
orable is the birthright OF certain o n o.
peers, and although Rt. Hon. looks some
! thing like it, the likeness is like that be
tween Madrid and Madras, 10 the ey,
and ear only; for can be secured
only by birth, the other acquired only by
political prominence. Please remember
that a little prefix makes equal unequal,
the difference is hardly greater than that
between the English Hon. and Rt. Hon.
one is born, the other made.
Tosum up: In Great Britain dukes are
addressed as your grace; marquesses as
my lord marques, or simply my lord.
A dukes wife is n duchess, a marques
wife a marchioness. The eldest son take,
the fathers second title by courtesy; the
other sons are Lord John, Lord Thomas,
etc. The daughters are all Lady james
Lady Maries, etc. An earl is addressed
as my lord; his wife is a countess; hi
eldest son takes second highest title; al
other IONS are the Hon. Mr.. So and So
whatever the family name may be. Al
daughters are Lady james, etc. Viscount
and barons are addressed as my lord
eldest and all other sons are the Hon. Mr.
So and So, and all Of the daughters ais
have the prefix Of honorable. Baronetl
and knights are addressed as Sir John
etc. their wives become Lady So and So
Right honorable applies to members o
the privy council. Being a member O
parliament gives no title or prefix.-E
j. Biddle in Globe-D Democrat.